FAIRFIELD -- There I was, moments before the start of the Stratton Faxon Fairfield half marathon on June 22, and I happened to look down at the feet of the runner to my left.

And there they were, two bare feet standing on the hard pavement waiting to take what I could only imagine being a painful pounding through the streets of Fairfield and Westport for 13.1 miles.

Ouch!

I then looked back down toward my own feet that were covered by what many people have called the "clown shoes" of running -- my grey Hoka One One Stinson Tarmac -- that I bought two months ago.

There was no moment that showed the two extremes of running shoes (or lack thereof) than that moment.

It's the time of year when many runners are training for fall marathons, so why not take a look into Hokas?

The Hoka shoes have been referred to as clown shoes due to their bulky look and excessive added cushioning that is meant to not only lend extra support to runners, but also last longer than many less-cushioned sneakers.

"This is not a fashion product," said Chris Sanford, who is a co-owner with Steve Seelert of The Authentic Athlete store in Fairfield, which opened last year. "The early product was very specialized toward the ultra-marathon athlete. They were looking toward the technical aspect first. They are still trying to make them look better now, but the regular customer is not looking at Hokas first."

As Sanford admits, people are "apprehensive" about the look of Hokas. I was too at first, but when I first tried on a few models in the store, my feet were telling me they would much rather have the comfort. And heck, I have no fashion sense anyway, I wear cargo shorts and a T-shirt 90 percent of my life.

Finding the perfect sneaker is important for all runners, and by no means will I suggest that Hokas will work for everybody. I will, however, suggest you give Hokas a try if you are still looking for that shoe that feels just right.

In the past three weeks, I ran in my Hokas in both the Branford 5-mile race and the Fairfield half. I have used the Hokas for all my training runs and have only switched to my old Asics for weightlifting or cross-training workouts in the gym.

I have loved the shoe so far and I expect that many other runners would be willing to try them if the look wasn't so bad. Despite the bulky look, the Hokas are made so lightweight. I can't tell the difference between them and my old shoes when it comes to weight.

Hoka was founded in 2009 by Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud for ultra runners and the sales have steadily grown. The wider platform on Hokas allows for more cushion and support.

"We have carried the Hoka since day one," Sanford said. "We were the first ones to distribute them in Connecticut. They're spending more money on advertising now."

I was only able to find a couple of other specialty running stores in the state online that carry Hokas.

"It's a good product," Sanford said. "They have been selling great. A lot of people came out of the woodwork traveling from all over the state at first. The channels have opened up some, but we are still selling a good amount."

Whether you go with Hoka or not, I will always suggest going to a specialty running shoe store to get more insight if you have questions. I have bought many sneakers at the big box stores and ended up with sneakers that either don't last long or just don't work for me.

Like many runners who just want to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle, I feel better getting more information from somebody that is knowledgeable about the product.

"We ask what shoe they've been in and what has worked and hasn't worked for them," said Sanford, a New Canaan native who has been in the sports retail business for the past 15 years. "We take some kind of analysis by looking at the wear pattern of old shoes. Every case is different. You have to listen to the customer.

"With Hokas, it's a whole different story. People have usually heard some miracle story of people using them before. Rarely do they jump off the shelf on their own. People with pre-existing injuries may be more open to trying them."

The Authentic Athlete carries four different Hoka models for men and women with the prices ranging from $130-170. I was hesitant to spend that much on sneakers -- it's the most I have ever paid for a running shoe -- but in the end the extra $30-50 you pay today will hopefully benefit you in the long run.

Will the Hokas be another fad in the running world like minimalist shoes the past few years? Maybe, but many people learned the hard way that minimalist running shoes were not for everybody, with many people suffering more injuries. The trend now seems to be pushing back toward more cushioning and even to the extreme side like Hokas.

"Everybody wants a quick fix or miracle cure," Sanford said. "You can't just throw out $150 and it's going to cure anything. The weekend warrior or the serious runner just wants a product that keeps you safe and protected."